Apple OSx to a Windows XP printer

[tw]

I only had a short time to look at this. The configuration is an Apple with OSX connected by ethernet to a Windows XP with an HP printer. Both computers have the HP drivers for that printer loaded. Both computes see each other. The Apple can see that the Windows XP has an HP printer. But when printing apparently using SAMBA) to that HP printer, the printer appears to output what looks like Postscript commands rather than the document.

What should I be looking for? Need I make some special change to the Windows XP list of network functions? Or is there some (secret) function on the Apple that must be enabled?

I only get to visit this configuration maybe once a month. Doing research in advance would be helpful. Any location that discusses the underlying details of how this configuration works and is suppose to work?

[Happy Monkey]

On a extremely tangentally related note, my Deskjet 812C can't print in color on XP, but the same printer, hardware, and cable can print in color when I boot to Win98. If someone has any spare time after fixing tw's problem...

[mbpark]

TW,

I just got back from a customer's house on the main line who had this issue.

Mac OS X has CUPS. Grab 1.2rc1 from www.cups.org, install on the Mac, and share out the printer from there.

Set up the shared printer as an Apple Color Laserwriter 12/600 on the XP box.

You will then have happy printer sharing.

And in case y'all are wondering, I did this on an Intel-based iMac Core Duo, so I know it will work with both Intel and PPC-based macs.

Mitch

[Beestie]

Good grief - a question with XP, OSX, HP, networking and printing all in the same question and mbpark STILL knows the answer. There is no stumping this guy.

A bud lite and a round of polite golf clap for mbpark.

[tw]

Originally Posted by mbpark

Mac OS X has CUPS. Grab 1.2rc1 from www.cups.org, install on the Mac, and share out the printer from there.

Set up the shared printer as an Apple Color Laserwriter 12/600 on the XP box.

I am trying to understand what was happening here AND how using Unix printing solves the problem. CUPL apparently prints using Unix Printing format (that is not defined).

To step back - document to be printed is on an Apple OSx machine. An HP printer driver is loaded onto that Apple. HP Deskjet printers don't use postscript; they use PCL. Apple uses Samba (SMB) network protocol to transmit printer information from Apple's document to a Windows 2000 machine and its HP Deskjet printer. Why would the HP driver on Apple send that information to the XP in Postscript when neither the HP driver nor the HP printer understands postscript?

Normally a Windows program outputs its printer data in EPS. An HP printer driver would convert that EPS to PCL - what HP printers understand. Maybe the Windows 2000 machine expects printer data from SMB (network) to arrive already converted to PCL by that other (in this case Apple) computer. But the Apple does not do that. Apple sends its screen data (in Postscript) directly into SMB network packets?

So CUPL converts that Apple screen (already in Postscript) to what? What is the language used by Unix printer drivers? If the Windows 2000 printer prints data directly from the SMB network, then why would CUPL on the Apple also not print directly to the Windows 2000 printer. Unfortuantely these technical documents like to short us on information - or I am missing something.

And finally, that Windows 2000 system prints from Windows 2000 programs using the HP driver. Therefore the same printer (I suspect) cannot also be driven by a Unix driver. But CUPL apparently needs a Unix printer driver assigned to that HP Deskjet printer. How do I get around that? Or can multiple drivers be assigned to the same printer - I did not think so?

What I think I need is some way for the Apple to talk (using SMB on network) to an HP driver on the Windows 2000 machine, OR for the Apple to output PCL directly to the Windows 2000 Deskjet printer. I thought that second option was what I was doing when I loaded the HP Deskjet printer driver on Apple OSX. I think. Where does all the above go right or wrong?

Unfortuately the computers and network are not readily available to play with AND I have limited time on site to solve this Windows/Apple printer sharing. BTW Windows 2000 programs also must talk to an Epson printer on the Apple - a problem I have avoided because printing in that direction apparently is even more complex. Currently I am only trying to solve Apple printing to an HP Deskjet on a Windows 2000 machine using an existing and apparently working SMB network communication.

Where does all the above go wrong?

[mbpark]

TW,

#1. Did you get the drivers from the HP site? I've had OS X outputting to PCL printers before with no issues (specifically with high-end printer/copiers) with no issues. I've also done the direct printing from OS X to an HP printer with a JetDirect card in it, and to a Lexmark with a network connection (I do use my Powerbook for work, and have had to print from it at two printers at a customer site).

#2. CUPS converts the printer data into PostScript and does a conversion from PostScript to the printer language used (EPS, PCL, etc).

#3. When I use CUPS from a Windows 2000 or XP machine, it uses something equivalent to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol), and assign it a Apple Laserwriter PS driver so it will print correctly. It also uses a URL to define the printer. Yes, you can use multiple printer drivers for the same printer using this method, as XP or 2000 will think they're different printers.

#4. CUPS can support multiple printers on the Apple. There's no problem in that direction. It will work extremely well for this. Just remember to set all your printers to be Apple LaserWriters, and you're set.

Thanks,

Mitch

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

On a extremely tangentally related note, my Deskjet 812C can't print in color on XP, but the same printer, hardware, and cable can print in color when I boot to Win98. If someone has any spare time after fixing tw's problem...

Senor Simian:

Short answer: Delete the printer and reinstall it. Long expression of same answer follows below.

Based on what you've explained, I will presume that the printer's ok, the color ink's ok, the cable and port are all ok. The difference is the OS, and the printing part of the OS is the printer driver. The one you've got is hosed, and a new one should help. (Although, I seem to remember the option in the advanced tab of the printer's properties to print in grayscale. Properties--General--Printing Preferences...--Paper/Quality--Black & White. Choose Color. That's worth checking first, and disabling if enabled).

My first efforts would be to replace/reinstall the printer driver. The most thorough way to do this for XP (and many HP printing stuff) is to use the uninstall program that comes with the printer. Although, the HP DeskJet 812C is "merely" a printer, and not a multifunction machine, and would therefore require less of an installation production. Still, look for any HP uninstall software, use it. If there are any other HP products involved (scanning software, HP director, fax manager, etc) they could well be involved in the problem. Sometimes the uninstall goes badly and leaves the system only partly uninstalled. In these cases, it is necessary to use a program from HP to uninstall the offending software. The tools to do this are specific to the software being uninstalled, which is dependent on what hardware is being supported on the computer.

Back to the point...the goal is to have a *clean* system, and a *clean* (re)installation of the printer driver. One major aspect of having a clean system is to have the Windows/Microsoft Updates current on your machine. Assuming this is the case, then I would go to the My Computer icon/item, expand it, (I like using Windows Explorer to navigate there) find Control Panel--Printers and Faxes. When you choose Printers and Faxes, the right side of the screen will show your installed printers. Right click on the offending printer icon/entry and choose Delete. Follow the prompts (yes, (I think) you do want to delete the printer)), until you're back at the Explorer screen.

Now you want to re-add the printer. Right click on the white space on the right pane and choose Add Printer. During the reinstallation process, all the defaults are acceptable, but may need to be changed for your situation (port LPT1: vs. USB, default printer, etc). A key test will be the Print a Test Page. The Windows logo should print in color.

Try it out, I'm interested to hear the results.

[Happy Monkey]

Thanks. It is in B&W mode, but that's because color mode causes it to print gibberish.

I've uninstalled/reinstalled the printer many times. The HP software was never on the system, IIRC, it has always been using the XP supplied driver.

[BigV]

Does the Properties--Advanced--Driver dialog show HP DeskJet 812C, like this?

[BigV]

cause that's gonna be *key* to getting it to print right... Still sounds like a driver issue. btw, parallel, usb, serial, what?

Indeed, the HP site says this driver is supplied by MS XP. Maybe I could scare one up explicitly, but *coughcoughc* it should work.

[Happy Monkey]

Yeah, it's using the right drivers. It's parallel. I'm sorta resigned to monochrome until it dies.

Hey, it's HP. It's gotta die some time.

[BigV]

But it doesn't have to die before you do.

My professional interest is piqued. Are you interested in pursuing this further? I believe there is a solution, short of the printer being replaced.

[Happy Monkey]

Sure. I've got nothing to lose...

[jhogeterp]

Hello,

I have been trying for a couple hours now to get my macbook to print to an hp photosmart 2610 which is hooked to an xp machine. I cam upon this discussion, but I don't really understand what tw's instructions are.

I would install cups on my intel mac, then set up my hp as an Apple Color Laserwriter 12/600?

Could someone explain this a little more? I am not quite sure how to do this. (although I already installed cups1.2.1)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[glatt]

Welcome to the Cellar. You might not get an answer right away, but somebody is bound to stop by with some advice.